On Monday, July 15th at 7:00 p.m. at the library, Steve Taylor will be presenting a program about the myths and reality of the one-room schools in NH.
Hundreds of one-room schools dotted the landscape of New Hampshire a century ago and were the backbone of primary education for generations of children. Revered in literature and lore, they actually were beset with problems, some of which are little changed today. The greatest issue was financing the local school and the vast differences between taxing districts in ability to support education.
Other concerns included teacher preparation and quality, curriculum, discipline, student achievement and community involvement in the educational process.
Steve Taylor explores the lasting legacies of the one-room school and how they echo today.
Steve is an independent scholar,farmer, journalist, and longtime public official. With his sons, Taylor operates a dairy, maple syrup and cheese making enterprise in Meriden Village, NH. He has been a newspaper reporter and editor, and served for 25 years as NH's commissioner of agriculture. Taylor was the founding executive director of the NH Humanities Council and is a lifelong student of the state's rural culture.
This program is sponsored by the NH Humanities Council and the Harrisville Public Library.
